Definition of ridicule
:the act of ridiculing :derision, mockery
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Examples of ridicule in a Sentence
She didn't show anyone her artwork for fear of ridicule.
the early efforts by the suffragists to obtain voting rights for women were met with ridicule
Recent Examples of ridicule from the Web
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Fortunately, despite constant financial struggles and unrelenting ridicule, Patti has a beautiful confidence.
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And according to BravinLee’s website, the rat will be available to rent: The inflatable rat, an enduring sign of resistance and ridicule, has been re-purposed to help lead protest against Trump’s policies.
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A fair number of politicians faced withering criticism and ridicule at the Tea Party California Caucus meeting in Fresno this weekend, including Gov. Jerry Brown, GOP Assembly Leader Chad Mayes and especially Los Angeles Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters.
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The second kind of blowback comes not from Buddhism skeptics but from Buddhism aficionados, who lament that meditation has—in some circles, at least—become so mundane as to invite ridicule from the Adam Grants of the world.
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Carney’s tweets drew further criticism and ridicule, particularly from the left.
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Doing anything out of the ordinary—from wearing makeup to running for president—can set women up up for ridicule, abuse or worse.
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By then, Rees-Mogg had endured more than a decade of ridicule from the British press.
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This drew immediate ridicule and scorn from across the political spectrum.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ridicule.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of ridicule
French or Latin; French, from Latin ridiculum jest
ridicule Synonyms
Synonyms
derision, mockery, sportRelated Words
contempt, disdain, scorn; belittlement, deprecation, disparagement; catcall, insult, put-down; laughter, snickering; burlesque, caricature, mimicry, pasquinade, satireNear Antonyms
applause, approval, commendation, praiseDefinition of ridicule
ridiculed;
ridiculing
transitive verb
:to make fun of
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ridiculer
nounExamples of ridicule in a Sentence
The other kids ridiculed him for the way he dressed.
They ridiculed all of her suggestions.
Recent Examples of ridicule from the Web
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The statement was quickly complimented by conservatives and ridiculed by some on the left.
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In that case, the activists filled seats in the coffee shop on behalf of a woman who said she had been ridiculed by the staff for wearing Trump gear.
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Heer is writing about Chapo Trap House, a left-wing podcast that ridicules liberals.
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You’ll be ridiculed, of course, by friends and office mates for dropping $5,000 on a bike that isn’t made of carbon fiber.
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Any time there was news from the Wall, and it was ridiculed by King’s Landing—the old stories that nursemaids tell to scare children—
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Carr the Younger watched his brother live through that NFL life, heard him get ridiculed by fans and the media, and saw how that experience affected him.
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The idea prompted lots of chatter, with more than 75 comments by Thursday afternoon ranging from praise for the notion to ridicule.
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Sometimes multiple guardians of the English language will gang up, employing ridicule through bad cop-bad cop ridiculing tactics.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ridicule.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of ridicule
1680
ridicule Synonyms
Synonyms
deride, gibe (or jibe), jeer, laugh (at), mock, scout, shoot down, skewer, cock a snook (at) also cock snooks (at), make fun of, make sport of, poke fun at, rag onRelated Words
scoff (at), scorn, sneer (at); bad-mouth, belittle, decry, disparage, pooh-pooh (also pooh), put down; chaff, jive, josh, kid, quiz, rally, razz, rib, ride, tease, tweak, twit; bait, barrack [chiefly British], bug, catcall, harass, harry, hassle, heckle, needle, pester, rag, target, taunt, torment; ape, burlesque, caricature, imitate, lampoon, mimic, parody, parrot, pillory, satirize, take off (on), travestyNear Antonyms
applaud, approve, commend, endorse (also indorse), sanctionSynonym Discussion of ridicule
ridicule, deride, mock, taunt mean to make an object of laughter of. ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling.
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- consistently ridiculed everything she said
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- derided their efforts to start their own business
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- youngsters began to mock the helpless wino
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- hometown fans taunted the visiting team
RIDICULE Defined for English Language Learners
ridicule
play
noun
Definition of ridicule for English Language Learners
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: the act of making fun of someone or something in a cruel or harsh way : harsh comments made by people who are laughing at someone or something
ridicule
verb
Definition of ridicule for English Language Learners
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: to laugh at and make jokes about (someone or something) in a cruel or harsh way : to make fun of (someone or something)
RIDICULE Defined for Kids
Definition of ridicule for Students
:the act of making fun of someone or something in a cruel or harsh way :mean or unkind comments or behavior
Learn More about ridicule
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See words that rhyme with ridicule Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ridicule Spanish Central: Translation of ridicule Nglish: Translation of ridicule for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ridicule for Arabic speakers
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